A Frustrating End For Warwick

May 27, 2008|By DAVE JOHNSON, djohnson@dailypress.com - 247-4649

VIRGINIA BEACH — The final score was 5-0. But Warwick couldn't help wondering: What if?

Specifically, what if Brittany Booth's two-out, two-strike bleeder had not gotten through the right side in the first inning? What if the Raiders somehow had escaped that bases-loaded jam right off the bat?

But it did get through, and Hickory cruised behind pitcher Jennifer Gniadek in an Eastern Region quarterfinal at Princess Anne High. The Hawks (22-1) pounded out six of their nine hits in the first three innings, and Gniadek allowed only one runner past first base in pitching a two-hit shutout.

"If we could have gotten (Booth's) hit back, maybe things could have gone different," Warwick coach Jimmy Dawson said. "That hurt. But we have no excuses. When you play through the Peninsula District, it doesn't really prepare you for the next level. And they're on a higher level than we are."

Hickory, which won 21 straight games before losing to Western Branch in the Southeast District final, will face Kellam in today's semifinals. Kellam beat Granby 7-0. Today's winner will clinch a bid to the Group AAA state tournament.

Booth's hit came after Warwick pitcher Travonna Byrd gave up a pair of singles and a walk. Booth worked the count to 2-2 before poking a grounder just between second baseman Megan Thompson and first baseman Jaz Baldwin.

In the next inning, the Hawks went ahead 4-0 as a wild pitch scored Darlene Deacon from third base and Gniadek drove in a run with a single to center field. Rachel West's RBI single in the third made it 5-0.

"I don't know, maybe today wasn't our day," Warwick center fielder Va King said. "Maybe they wanted it more. I could tell in warmups they were better prepared than we were."

It didn't hurt having Gniadek, who has given up seven runs all year, on the mound.

Gniadek struck out 10, including seven of the final 10 batters she faced.